Nipple



Jan. 6, 1942. c, R. PoRTHoUsE F.1- Al. y2,269,223

NIPPLE Filed NOV. 16, 1940 yPatented Jan. 6, 1942 i v l Y Ohio,as'sgnors tov The Pyramid Rubber Company, Ravenna, Ohio, a

McIntosh, Akron,

corporation of Ohio Application November 1s, 1946,'sea1 No.- 366,006 l:zclaims. (c1. 12s-252) This invention relates to flexible or elastic:nipples and has for one o f its objects the production of a simple andefficient nipple which is provided with means for facilitating theattachment of a nipple to a bottle and the remloval of a nipple from abottle'.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andeiiicient nipple having a finger-engaging portion' or portions wherebythe ngers of an operator'xnay conveniently grip the nipple Vforplacing'thefnipple upon a' bottle or removing vthe nipple from a bottle.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specication and claims.

In the drawing: l y y Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the ple;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the nipple looking atright-angles to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottoml plan View of the nipple; s

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2J aportion of the nipple being shown in elevation;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1, aportion of` the nipple being shown in elevation;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of thenipple and bottle, the nipple being shown partly in section; f

' Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7;Y

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view illustrating the invention as applied toa breast style nipple; and

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the nipple shown in Figure 9.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that I0 designates the neckof the nipple, which is supported by a thickened base I I. The thicknipened base II carries a projecting annular base,

circumference of the nipple and cause' the nipple to assume anelliptical shape at its bottom when the nipple is placed over the neckof a bottle, as shown in Figure 8. The tabs, when the nipple is placedupon'the bottle, will have more prominence thanrunder normal conditionsand in this way will provide means whereby the operator may easily gripthe tabs when removing the nipple fromthe bottle.

The nipple is provided with a conventional annular bead-receiving recessor channel I1 preferably located -above the notches I5r and in theinner, face of thev nipple. The bead I8 -of a bottle I9 is adapted to twithin the channel I1 flange I2 having a knurled or roughened upper faceI3 and a knurled or roughened lower face I4 upon opposite sides of thenipple to provide tabs or finger-grip portions. The base I I of thenipple is provided with a finger-receiving notch or recess I5 upon eachside of the nipple adjacent the knurled or roughened upper face I3, asshown in the drawing.

The open .lower end of the nipple is provided with a built-up portion I6'upon the inner face of the nipple opposite each notch I 5, whichbuiltup portions will cause the tabs or nger-grip portions to projectoutwardly beyond the normal in the manner shown in Figure 7, and thebase II' of the nipple is adapted to snugly grip the neck of the bottleI9as shownto hold the nipple upon the fbottle. y

It should be noted that the built-up portions I6 which are formed uponthe inner face of the nipple upon either side thereof will reinforce thenipple behind .the notches I5 and will provide a wall to compensate forthe cut-out portion of the elastic body of the nipple which provides thenotches I5. The built-up portions I6 yextend in a straight line acrossthe sides of the inner wall of the nipple, as shown in Figure 3, whenthe nipple is in its normal position, but due to the fact that thenipple is formed of rubber or other elastic material, the nipple whenstretched over the neck of a bottle will conform to the contour of theneck of a bottle and will assume the .position shown in Figure 8,thereby causing the tabs I4 to extend or project beyond the normalcircumference of the nipple, in this way presenting protruding tabswhich may be readily engaged by the fingers. 'When the nipple is removedfrom the neck of a bottle, the tabs will automatically merge into orconform to the normal contour of the flange I2. l

The notches I5 also will provide recesses into which the fingers may beextended to obtain an eflicient grip and the notches I5 will furtherform pockets into which the finger or fingers may be extended, the edgesof the notches snugly tting'around the fingers, thereby adding anadditional gripping action. The built-up lportions provide substantiallyflat areas when the nipple is in its normal position and these built-upportionsv are preferably rounded or tapered toward their lupper ends asthe built-up portions merge into the contour of the inner face of thenipple.

By referring to Figures 9 and 10, it will be noted that there isillustrated a breast style nipple which is adapted to be applied to aWidemouth bottle. In the structure shown in Figures 9 and 10 it will benoted that IIJa designates the nipple having notches l5a similar to thenotches I5 previously described formed upon the side of the nipple abovethe annular base ange I2a Which is similar to the flange l2 previouslydescribed. The nipple |08 is provided with builtup portions I8a similarto the previously described portions I6, said portions |63 being formedupon the inner face of the nipple in back of the notches |58.

It should be noted that the present invention embodies as one importantfeature, the built-up portions which are formed along the inner face ofthe nipple directly in back of the notches which are formed on the outerface of the nipple making these portions of the nipple heavier adjacentthe notches so as to reinforce the nipple at these points and cause thepull on the bead to be distributed over a maximum circumference of thebead when a pull is exerted thereon. These reinforcing or thickenedportions will avoid the narrowing of the nipple opening ai; the beadwhen the nipple is being pulled by the operator when grasping the tabsor edge of the flange to t the nipple over the neck of a bottle.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanicalstructure may be employed Without departing from the spirit of theinvention so long as such changes fall Within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Havingy described the invention, what claimed as new is:

l. An elastic nipple of the class described comprising a body having abase portion, the base portion having anannular base flange, the innerface of the nipple having oppositely located built-up portions to reducethe normal diameter ofthe inner portion of the base of the nipple andbeing adapted to cause the portion of the flange opposite the built-upportions to protrude beyond the normal diameter and contour of theflange when the nipple is flexed over the neck of a bottle therebyproducing projecting finger-gripping tabs to facilitate the removal ofthe nipple from a bottle, the projecting fingergripping tabs beingadapted to automatically merge into the normal contour of the flangeWhen the nipple is removed from the neck of a bottle.

2. An elastic nipple of the class described comprising a body having abase portion, the base portion having an annular base flange, the innerface of the nipple having oppositely arranged built-up portions to spana portion of and reduce the normal diameter of the inner portion of thebase of the nipple and being adapted to cause the flange opposite thebuilt-up portions to protrude beyond the normal diameter of the flangewhen the nipple is flexed over the neck of a bottle thereby producingfinger-gripping tabs protruding beyond the normal contour of the annularbase flange to facilitate the removal of the nipple from a bottle, andsaid base having finger-receiving notches formed in the outer facethereof opposite the built-up portions to reduce the thickness of thenipple adjacent the built-up portions and thereby facilitate the flexingof the nipple adjacent the notches when placing the nipple over a bottleto constitute fingerreceiving pockets and provide maximum fingergrippingareas for the flange adjacent the pockets.

- CYRIL R. PORTHOUSE.

W'ILLIAM B. McINTOSH.

